Ignition system.



B. P. SWYERS.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED Jul. 1a, 1914.

1 127,827. Patented Feb. 9, 1915. I 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

- B. P: SWYERS IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILL!) JAN. .19, 1914 Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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, WMM' B. P. S'WYERS.'

IGNITION SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1914.

1 127 821 Patented Feb. 9, 1915 3 SHEETS-sham s 43 .109 FIG-.11-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BBICE P. SWYERS, OF IITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF SEYEN THIRTY- SECONDS TO GEORGE E. LORCH, TWO

THIRTY-SECONDS 'ro MARGARET MAUL, AND

SEVEN TH IRTY-SE'CONDS TO LOUIS LO-RCH, JR., ALL OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, I

FOUR THIRTY-SECONDS TO JOHN H.

WAGNER, OF MOUNT OLIVE PENNSYLVANIA, i

I AND FOUB-THIBTY-SECONDS TO GEOBGE M. DAVIS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA.

T all inhom it may concern: I Be it known that I, Baron P. SwYERs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, South Side, in the county of' Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Ignition Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. I y

My invention relates to an ignition system and particularly to such a system as embraces both a high and low tension circuit multaneously and one wherein the circuits will be controlled by a combination lock in order to frustrate the attempt of any person unfamiliar with the same to start the mechanism by closing the circuits and supplying the necessary ignition to the operating fluid.

A further object of my invention is to provide a shunt in connection with the high tension circuit from a magneto or other means and to place a combination lock or switch in such shunt in order to keep the current grounded at all times except when operated by some person familiar with the operation of the same.

My invention consists, generally-stated, in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of circuits and their control as hereinafter more specifically set forthrand described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

T 0 enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to construct, use,.operate and apply my improved ignition system, I will describe the same more fully referring tothe accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the lock or switch used in conjunct on with my impro ed' gnition system. c Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe lock or switch with a cover removed. Fig. 3 isa cross sectional view on the line Specification of Letters Patent.

mm'rion SYSTEM.

' 3 -3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a top .plan view of the upper fiber plate showing the contact rings in position. Fig. 5 is a bottom. plan view Patented Feb. 9, 1915. Application filedJ'anuary19,1914. Serial No. 812,911. I

:of the upper fiber plate showing the lower, contact rlngs in position. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the device with the lower fiber plate removed. Fig. 7 is-a top plan View.

of the lower fiber plate. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the sprlng contact employed in the fiber disk. Fig. 1 0 is a diagrammatioiview of one form of wiring of an ordinary automobile.

Fig. 11 is a like view of the same device with my improved ignition embodied therein.

Like symbols of reference herein ind'cate like parts inveach of the figures of the drawing. i f

As illustrated inthe drawing, my improv'ed ignition system can be operated by the switch A which is used merely for the purpose of illustration, and such switch has a central shaft 1- which passes through the dial or face 2, the upper plate 3, the disk 4 and the lower plate 5. The dial 2 and upper and lower plates 3 and 5 respectively are formed of some nomconducting material such as fiber, rubberjor other substances and are supported and held in position by upright supports or standards 6 which are located at suitable intervals around the periphery of such parts and secured thereto in any suitable manner such as by small screens. Fitt ng around the shaft 1 is a bushing 7 which extends below the upper plate 3 and slightly above the dial 2, although not quite as'far. as the end of the shaft 1. Upon the upper end of the bushing '7 is a long hand 8 while upon theupper end of the'shaft 1 is a short hand 8 and these hands are for the purpose of indicating the position of the contacts as later explained- Upon the upper part of the circular attaching portion 11 of the arm 9 is a bevel gear 12 which is firmly secured thereto, and such gear is adapted to mesh with a small bevel gear 13 as later explained.

Secured to the lower face of the dial 2 is a support 14 which carries a bearing 15 for the purpose of receiving a shaft 16, on the inner end of which the said bevel gear 13 is securely located, and said shaft is also journaled in a bearing 15' on the bar 17 and has a small bevel gear 18 on the same for meshing with a bevel gear 19 on the operating shaft 20. The operating shaft 20 is journaled in a bearing 15 formed on the bar 17 and such shaft is provided with an operating member 21 for turning the same. The operating member 21 has a long barrel portion 21' which fits over the outer end of the shaft 20 and engages by a groove 21" on the inner end of said barrel portion with-a pin 21' which extends through said shaft in order to cause the said shaft to turn with said operating member while a screw 21" extends into said operating member and into the outer end of said shaft to prevent the parts from becoming disengaged. On the upper face of the upper fiber plate 3 is a series of contact rings three in number, the inner ring :22 being broken at a suitable point and an insulating block '23 is placed in the cavityformed by the gap in the ring for the purpose hereinafter explained. The middle ring 21 is solid, having no break in the same, while the outer ring 25 is broken and has a contact .26 in the center of the gap, thus formed for the purpose hereinafter explained, while an insu ating block 27 is placed on each side of said contact 26 so as to form a smooth, even surface at the point of the break in said ring and to insulate said contact from saidring, so that the current will not pass from one to the other. The inner contact ring 22 is adapted to be engaged by a contact member 28 which is secured to the arm 9 by a screw 29 and such contact member is electrically connected to the bevel gear 12 by a small ortion 30 extending onto the upper face 0 said arm and under said gear. The middle contact ring 24 is engaged by a contact member 31 which has two contact portions and 33 respectively and the said portion 32 rests upon the said ring 24 at all times, while the portion 33 rests upon the outer contact ring 25 or the contact 26 in the gap formed therein. This contact member 31 is secured to the side of the arm 9 by means of screws 34 and is in no way connected electrically or other wise to the contact member 28 on said arm. The inner contact ring 22 is provided with a terminal 35 for attaching a wire, while the middle contact ring 24 and the contact 26 are also each provided with a terminal 36 and 37 respectively for the same purpose.

Between the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 5 and above the disk 4 is an arm 38 which is secured to the shaft 1 in any suitable manner such as by a screw 39 passing through the circular attaching portion 40 of said arm, and such arm is formed of some non-conducting material such as rubber, fiber, or compositions. At the upper end of the shaft 1 which extends slightly through the bushing 7 the short hand 8' is secured by a screw 41 which enters the end 42 of said shaft and bears upon said hand to insure theturning of the same with said shaft.

'lhe lower face of the upper plate 3 is provided with an inner and an outer contact ring 43 and 44 respectively and such rings are each provided with terminals 45 and 46 respectively for the purpose of attaching a wire to the same as hereinafter explained. 'lhe outer rin 4% is broken at a suitable point and in t e gap thus produced a contact 47 is located while on either side' of said contact a fiber block 48 is placed in order to present a smooth, even surface on the upper face of said ring and to sufiiciently insulate said contact from the ends of said ring. Secured to the arm 38 by means of screws 49 is a contact member 50 which is slotted at its free end in order to provide a pair of contact portions 51 and 52. 'l he contact member 50 is made of some sprmgy material so that the contact 51 will rest firmly upon the inner contact ring 43 at all times, while the contact portion 52 will rest upon the outer contact ring 44 or on the contact 47 located in the gap of said ring. The disk 4 has a round hole 53 in the center of the same for fitting around the shaft 1, and a bevel gear 51 is attached to the upper face of said disk by means of screws 55, and a ferrule 56 formed integral with said gear fits around said shaft and is securely fixed thereto by means of a screw 57 hearing against said shaft so as to msure the turning of said disk when said shaft is turned.

Connecting between two of the upright supports or standards 6 is a supporting portion 58 which carries a bearing portion 59 and a shaft 60 which fits through said bearing portion and has a small bevel gear 60 attached securely to its inner end for meshing with the gear 54 on the up er face of said disk. At the outer end of t ie shaft (30 is another bevel gear 60' which meshes with a small bevel gear 60" on an operating rod 60" and said operating rod is rotatably mounted in a bearing portion 61 which is formed integral with and extends down from the supporting portion 58. 'The operating rod 60" is-provided with a pin 62 which extends through the same for the purpose of engaging with a groove 63 at the end of a barrel portion 63' on the operating member 61. The operating member 61 is held securely on said shaft and such scribed.-

member extends out of the casing 1 and above the upper face of the same.

The lower face of the disk 4 is provided with an annular slot and with a recess 66 around the hole which fits over the shaft 1 while a one-third segment 67 of the material included between said slot and recontinuing from the end of the same for fitting within the annular slot 65 between the side face 70 and not included in said cut-out segment. The curved portions 71 of the spring 68 are each curved on the same radius as the radius on the annular slot 65 and each of said curved portions are contact with a curvedportion 71 of the spring 68 at all times, while said plate will always restrain the curved portion 71 of the spring 68 and prevent the same from leaving said slot. The upper face of the lower plate 5 is provided with an annular raised portion or shoulder 7 4 for extending into the annular slot 65 and upon said shoulder are 3 contacts 75, 76 and 77 respectively, which are slightly raised above said upper surface of said shoulder for the purpose of engaging the raised portion 72 of the curved portion 71 of the spring 68 at suitab e intervals as hereinafter deeach held in positionby means of a screw 78 formed integral with the same and such screws extend through the lower plate and are engaged by small washers 79 and nuts 80 to hold the contacts in position, while such screws, nuts and washers are ada ted to rest in counter-sunk holes 81 to the upright supports or standards 6 for ad- These contacts 7 5, 76 and 77 are mitting the necessary wires for connection with the hereinbefore enumerated terminals. 7 7

Referring to the diagrammatic views, Figs. 10 and 11, it will best be understood how the switch A operates in my improved ignition system. Considering Fig. 10 as the wiring diagram of an ordinary automobile with the cut-out switch at 88 and having two wires 89 and 90 connecting to'the negative and positivepoles respectively of the battery 91*and with a lead 92 running from the wire 89 to the breaker box 93 of the magneto 94. The spark plugs 95 of theengine are each connected by suitable wires to the distributer 96 of the magneto 94 and the wire 90 from the battery 91 and switch 88 runs to the breaker box 93. The wire 89 after leaving the switch 88 is connected to the coil- 97 and from the said coil runs to the distributer 96. The wire 98 fromthe coil 97 runs to the ground 99.

By reference to Fig. 11 it will be seen that the battery wire 89 is broken at B and a wire 100 run from one of the broken sides of said wire to the inner ring 43 while the other end of said battery wire 89 is connected with a wire 101 which runs to and is connected with the contact 47. A wire 102 runs from the outer contact ring 44 to one-of the binding posts of the bell 103 while a wire 104 runs from the other binding post of said bell and is connected to the wire 92 running from the wire 89 of the battery 91. Av wire 105 is run from one of the broken ends of the battery wire and to the middle contact ring 24 while a wire 106 is connected to the other end of the broken battery wire 90 and runs to and is connected with the contact 26 in the gap formed by the break in the outer contact ring 25. A wire 107 is connected to the inner contact ring 22 and runs from the same to the wire 98 from the coil box 97 and running to the ground 99. A wire 108 is connected to the contact 77 by means of the screw 78 and nut 80 on the bottom of the lower plate 5 and such wire is run to the magneto 94 for the purpose ofgrounding said magneto at proper times and as herinafter explained. A wire 109 connects with the contact 75 by means of the screw 78 and nut 80 on the lower face" of the lower plate 5 and such wire runsto a ground 110 so that the magneto 94 will be grounded through the wires 108 and 109 when a suitable electrical connection is made between the contact 75 and 77 as hereinafter explained.

The operation of the switch A in connection with mv improved ignition system is as follows :Considering that with the automobile wired as described and shown in Fig. 11 and with the safety lock A in the circuit is desired tostart the machine.

The operating member 21 on the operating shaft 20 is turned so that the small bevel gear 19 is rotated and this gear in turn rotates the small bevel gear 18 on the outer end of the shaft 16 and the rotation of such shaft also rotates the small bevel gear 13 and as said last named gear meshes with the bevel gear 12 on the circular attaching portion 11 of the arm 9 the said arm is rotated on the bushing 7 around the shaft 1. The rotation of the arm 9 will also cause the long hand8secured thereto to be rotated so as to indicate the position of the contacts 28 and 31 carried by said arm. The operating member 21is thusturned until from lookin atthe position of the long hand 8 on the dia 2 the operator knows that the contact portion 33 of the contact member 31 is resting upon and in engagement with the contact 26 and as the contact portion 32 is alwaysin engagement with the contact ring 24, there will be a direct communication between the middle contact ring 21 and the contact 26 so that the current from the battery 91 will pass from the positive side of the same through the wire 90, the switch 88, the contact ring 24, the contact 31 on the arm 9, the contact 26 and the wire 106 to the breaker box 93 of the magneto 91 and will thus complete the circuit from the positive side of the battery 91 to the breaker box. To complete the circuit from the negative side of the battery the operator turns the rotating member 64 located on the operating shaft 60" so that such shaft with the bevel gear 60 will be rotated and as such bevel gear meshes with a small bevel gear 60 of the shaft 60, the last named gear and shaft will also be rotated. thus rotating the small bevel gear 60',

on the inner end of said shaft. As the small bevel gear 60 meshes with the bevel gear 54 secured to the shaft 1 and the rotary disk 4, the said shaft and disk will be rotated and the arm 38 which is secured to the sziid shaft by the circular attaching portion -10 will also be rotated with said shaft. The rotation of the shaft 1 will turn the short hand 8 in order to indicate the position of the contact 50 so that the operator will know when the contact portion 52 is in engagement with the contact 47 in the gap formed in the contact ring 44. At the same time, the contacts 75, 76 and 77 on the shoulder 74 of the lower plate have been engaging with the raised portion or contact .72 of the spring 68 and such contacts can press either one of the arms 69 of said spring around to the opposite wall '70 from the position shown in Fig. 6, at which point the said raised portion or contact is depressed sufiiciently to allow the said contact to pass over the same, whereupon it will spring back into its position as shown in said figure. When, as above stated. the contacts 51 and 52 are in engagement respectively with the contact ring 43 and the contact 47 one of the raised portions 72 of the spring 68 will be in en a ement with eithervthe contact 75 or 76 an t ie contact 77 in order to ground the magneto 94 through the wires 108 and 109 to the ground 110.

The position of the contacts 31 and 50, as above described, indicate proper operating locations of the several parts when it is desired to operate or start the engine with the battery 91, and it will be noticed that when the contacts are in such a position the contact ortion 29 will be resting within the gap, ormed by breaking the contact ring 22, so that the ground through said contact and the wire 107 and wire 108 of the ground 99 will be broken, while in all other positions of the arm 9 such ground will be maintained by the engagement of the contact 28 with the contact ring 22. When the parts are in the position described, the hands 8 and 8 will indicate the combination for starting the engine on the battery 91 when the switch 88 is closed, and it is only necessary to turn the operating members 21 and 64 so that the said hands will point to the combination numbers on the dial 2 and close the switch 88 in order to get the proper spark in the engine.

When the eng.ne has been started so as to cause the magneto to spin, and it is desired to throw over from the battery ignition to the magneto ignition and thus disconnect the battery from the circuit, the operating member 61 is turned so as to disconnect the contact member 50 from the contact 47 and this operation will turn the short hand 8' a few points and will relieve the raised portion or contacts 75 or 76 so that the two raised portions 72 will rest in their natural places along the side faces 70, while one of said raised portions will be positioned on each side of the contact 77 so that there will be no electrical connection between the contact 77 and either of the contacts 75 or 76 and thus there will be no connection between the wires 108 and 109 to the ground 110. When the ground is thus broken the magneto will be free to cause the necessary sparks in the spark plug 95 of the engine.

When the switch 88 is closed and the contacts of the switch are not in an operating .position the alarm bell 103 will ring as the current passes from the positive side of the battery through the wires 90 and 104 to the said bell 103 and then from said bell through the wire 102 to the outside contact ring 44, through the contact member 50 to the ring 43 and then along .the wires 100 and 89 to the negative side of said battery- The switch device, while more or less complicated in description, is very simple in construction and will be adapted to be applied on all classes of mechanism wherein my improved ignition system is used.

The device can be attached in a few minutes to any mechanism and when attached it will be practically impossible to start the mechanism without knowing the combination of numbers to which the respective hands must point before the engine can be given the necessary spark from the batteries and to know the combination or number to which the short hand 8 must be turned before the engine can be operated from the magneto.

It will be readily seen that with my improved ignition system the shunt to ground from the magneto must be broken before the current from the magneto can be utilized for operating the engine, and while I have only shown one shunt to ground from the magneto, two or more may be used by modifying the switch A and the combination for operating the same multiplied.

Various modifications and changes in the construction, method of connection and wiring my improved ignition system, as well as any type of switch, may be resorted to without departing from the s irit of the invention or sacrificing any its advantages.

What I claim as my invention and desire toisecure by Letters Patent is 1, An ignition system comprising a bati tery and'a coil box, in combination with a magneto having a shunt circuit to ground for the high tension winding thereof, and means insaid circuit for rendering said magneto totally inoperative.

2. An ignition system comprising a battery and a coil box, in combination with a magneto having a shunt circuitto ground for. the high tension winding thereof, and

a switch in said circuit for rendering said magneto totally inoperative.

3. An ignition system comprising a battery and a coil box, in combination with a magneto having a shunt circuit to ground for the high tension winding thereof, and a. combination switch in said circuit for rendering said magneto totally inoperative.

4. An ignition system comprising a battery, a coil and the usual connecting means, in combination with a magneto having a shunt circuit to ground for the high tension winding thereof, and means for controllin said battery circuit and for rendering said magneto totally inoperative.

5. An ignition system comprising a battery, a coil and the usual connecting means, in combination with a magneto having a shunt circuit to ground for the high tension winding thereof,'and a switch for controlling said battery circuit and for rendering said magneto totally inoperative.

6. An ignition system comprising a bat-' tery, a coil and the usual connecting means, in combination with a magneto having a shunt circuit to ground for the high tension winding thereof, and a combination switch for controlling said battery circuit and for rendering said magneto totally inoperative. In testimony whereof, I the said BRICE P. SWYERS have hereunto set my hand. BRICEP. SW'YERS.

Vitne'sses:

J. N. Coons, T. B. HUMPHRms. 

